Father Jack Wall, Catholic Extension President

In March 2007, the Holy See appointed Father Jack Wall as president of Catholic Extension. In this role, Father Wall focuses his efforts on raising awareness and resources for the 94 dioceses that Catholic Extension supports throughout the United States.

Prior to leading Catholic Extension, Father Wall served 24 years as pastor of Old St. Patrick's Church, the second oldest parish founded in the city of Chicago and one of the city's oldest public building. Under his stewardship, this struggling urban church grew from four to 4,000 households, making it one of the most vibrant faith communities in Chicago today.

A lifelong Chicagoan, Father Wall was ordained on May 2, 1968, after receiving his master of divinity and STL from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He has served on the faculty of Niles College Seminary at Loyola University and was vocations director for the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1979 to 1985.

Motivated by the Gospel call to serve the poor, Father Wall uses his inviting, pastoral approach to shepherd the nation’s Catholics in a mission to unleash the power of faith that transforms hearts, lives and society.

"Catholics may identify themselves locally with their parish, but we know in our hearts that we are more than a congregational church. To be Catholic is to be spiritually connected to one another in Faith wherever the Church is, and to be especially responsive to the presence of Christ in the poor. As American Catholics, we sense a special responsibility to build up the Catholic Faith in our own land and among our own people. Catholic Extension is the conduit through which we build faith, inspire hope and ignite change in poor and under-resourced dioceses and communities throughout the United States."